Wire-stretcher.



F'. SA-YR-E.

WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION man Nov. 6. 1911.

1,26%1 6. Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

ATTORNEY' rauen revelarse, or Penn CALIFORNIA;

WIRE-stemmen;

thecountyIofliern and State oit California', have invente'd certain new and useful lmprovements 'inWire-Stretchers, of Which the' followingA 'is a specification;

This invention relates to Wire stretchers and aims primarily toi generallyV simplify and improve the construction and operation of devices oi" this character, as Well as to" increase Vtheir eiiiciency.

A Jfurther object of the invention is to pro` vide a Wire stretching mechanism Whichfis capable of being quickly and easily applied to or removed from a 'tence postor other i support,j\vli1ch is equipped with improved gripping means for securing Wire strands to the stretcher 'trame and which is `further featured by improved means for moving the stretcher frame to properly tension the Wire strand. y Y e A Jfurther objectvof the invention is-to provide a Wire stretcher equipped with a movable tensioning frame capable ci? being slid both Ways in its support and operates so as to properly position the tensioned strand against the post oriV other support, thus facilitating the application of the tightened Wire toits support. y i

Still further objects of the invention are to provide a ivire stretcher Which'yis of eX- tremely simple and inexpensive construction, which may be adapted to posts oit various sizes7 which develops ahigh degree of power with the expenditure of av relatively small amount of energy, which has its various parts so constructed and arranged as to minimize the opportunity for wear or breakage, and which will prove highlypractical and el'iicient in use. Y -In the dravvingsz- 1 .l

Figure l is a side elevation of. afstretching mechanism A constructed in i. accordance with theinvention, i

Fig. 2 is a top plan vievv` of the improved stretchermechanism, i

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the body support of the mechanism, and A Y f Fig. 4 is asectional view .taken upon line le-1l of Fig. l. y

Referring 'nowf` more" particularly to the drawings, 5 represents generally the sup' porting body of the improved stretching apparatus. This body is formed of an elon- `Svpeeieatiron. of Letters Patent.1 p A Patnda, 26 1918, `application mea November e, 1917. serial No. 200,579. l

gated metallic plate, bent intermediate its ends so as toprovide a U-shaped structure, the parallel legs 6 otivhich are .connected at their free ends by rollers 7. Thellegs `tifare:v

provided intermediate theirends With'longi tudinally extending` notches S, which rotatably support'an axle 9 having'a gear'l() ailiXed thereto, thesaid gear beingdisposed between the legs 6 of the U-shaped member. The ends ofthe axle project beyond the body 5; and are squared `as shown to receive a crank. Pi-voted as at 1l Within the lol-shaped body and above the gear 10 is a paivl l2, and this paWl is normally held in engage ment with the teeth of the gear l0 by a contractile spring 13. The paWl is equipped with an outwardly extending hand or finger grip 1.4-, the latter protruding through an arcuate opening i6 in one of the legs 6 ot the supporting body. lt is obvious, therefore, that vf'hen it is desired to Withdraw the pawl 12 from engagement -With the teeth of the gear 10, it is but necessary to move the hand or linger grip ll'rearivardly, and immediately upon releasing this finger grip, the springl Will torcesthe pawl into engagement with the teeth ot the gear.

llachro'l the legs 6 ot the supporting body is provided midway its ends with a Wire clamping device indicatedat 17. These Wire clamps comprise plates `hinged as at 1S to the exterior surface of the legs 6, and are held in clamping position by screiv members 19.

Any preferred means may beused for holding the body support to a post; achain 2O being employed in the "present instance. This chain is firmly secured to one ot the legs 6 of the supportingframe, Vand isprovided Vatits outer end Witha hook 2l adapted to engage With the opposite leg of the supporting frame. i i

Associated with the supporting body of the above mentioned type is a stretcher :trarne represented at 22. lThis stretcher Jframe comprises a pair ot heads 23 connected at one endf by an `elongated tubular .member or pipe 21l,and 'this tubular member is adapted to pass through the supporting bofdy vat the bight portion thereof. The heads 23 are` connected at their' opposite ends by a rack bar 25, which rests at its "lower edge upon the rollers 7 connectingthe free ends of the legs 6 of the supporting body.` This rack bar is engaged by the teeth of the gear l0 so that as the latter is ica \ of such operations rotated, the rack bar will be moved inwardly or outwardly of the supporting body. The sides of the heads 23 are equipped with Wire clamping members 26, identical with those arranged upon the 0pposing sides of the supporting body 5, and preferably in horizontal alinement therewith.

The frame 22 is provided with a spacing bar 28, which has its ends bent inwardly at right angles as at 29, and these ends are hinged to the outer faces of the heads 23 slightly below the upper ends thereof. This spacing bar is thus capable of being swung from one side to the other of the frame and of the supporting body, and is engaged by rollers 3l rotatably mounted in suitable brackets upon the opposing sides of the body support 5. The spacing bar 28 is adapted, when the device is in use, to rest against the side of the post, and by swingingly mounting the spacing bar upon the stretcher frame, it is obvious that the meehanism is rendered adaptable to either side of the post. The spacing bar also assumes a share of the strain to which the supporting bar and stretcher frame are subjected during the stretching operation.

To properly aline the wire strand being stretched by the apparatus, a rod 35 is provided, the saidrod having at one end an eye 36 in which one end of a chain 37 is secured. This rod is adapted to be inserted in either end of the hollow pipe 24, and the chain 37 depending from the outer end of the said rod supports the wire strand indicated at 38 during the stretching operation.

In practice, the mechanism is applied to a post or other support b y passing the chain 20 around the saine. The gear l0 may be rotated so as to extend the stretcher frame beyond one side of the supporting body, and after the wire strand is clamped in' the clamp members 26, the device is ready for use. Rotation of the gear l0 in the proper direction will cause the frame 22 to move inwardly, drawing with it and properly tensioning the wirestrand 38. Should one be insuflicient to properly tension the wire, the strand end may be clamped in onerofl the, grips 17 on the body support while the frame is being again extended, whereupon the clamps 26 are again Vgripped upon the wire. ltwill be observed, particularly with reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings, that the strand is brought relatively close to the post which supports the apparatus so that the said strand may be quickly and easily nailed to the said post. By arranging the grip members 17-26 in @epica of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. C.

Vto stretch a fence fabric,

horizontal alinement, twisting, bending and breaking of the wire strand is obviated.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a stretching mechanism which is of extremely simple construction and which may be quickly and easily applied to a fence post. Should it be desired mechanism might be secured to either end of the slidable frame. i

. While the present is a disclosure of what 1s of the invention, it is to be understood that the .invention is not limited thereto, but that various changes in the minor details of construction, proportion, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to if desired, without departing from the tion as defined in the appended claims.

I claim :*l

l. In a wire stretcher, a supporting body adapted to be attached to a post, a frame slidably mounted in said body, a bar eX- tending longitudinally of said frame and being adapted to engage said post, a roller on said supporting body to engage said bar,

a clamp on said frame, and means on said body for sliding said frame.

2. In a wire stretcher, a body, a frame Slidably arranged in said body, a hollow member extending longitudinally of said frame, a rod adapted to be inserted in either end of said hollow member, a chain carried by said rod, a grip member on said frame, and means for sliding said frame.

3. in a wire stretcher, a body, a frame slidably arranged in said body, a pair of wire clamps carried by said body and being arranged one on each side thereof, a pair of clamps on each end of said frame and being disposed on each side thereof, and in alinementwith the clamps on said body, and "means for sliding said frame.

Li. In a wire stretcher, a body, a frame slidablycarried by said body, a bar having its ends bent at right angles .to the main portion thereof, the, said angularly bent ends being' hingedly connected to the ends.

of said frame, a pair of rollers arranged one on each side of said body and Vbeing adapted to support said bar, wire gripping means on said frame, and means'for moving said frame Within said body.

In testimony whereof I affix my signa ture lin presence of two witnesses.

Y FAY sarna.

Commissioner of iatentr,

a suitable clampingV believed to be the preferred embodiment spirit of the invern 

